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Chapter – 09
‘Isn’t this a bit too much?’
If the other person puts on a face like this, who could possibly keep their wits about them at a critical moment that could make or break this transmigrated life?
Moreover, as a fervent fan of Author Yvive’s works, I couldn’t help but feel glad to see that ‘face’ again, which bore a considerable resemblance to the description of Baron Chern.
Marquis d’Orléno asked with a regretful expression.
“Why didn’t you accept it when I greeted you earlier?”
“…That was a greeting?”
Even though our first meeting ended in disaster, did he really have the heart to greet me with a light smile?
Unlike Marquis d’Orléno, who was smiling kindly at me, I couldn’t even muster a perfunctory smile.
“I wanted to approach you in a friendly manner, but it seems I was too casual and ended up making you uncomfortable instead.”
“Why are you trying to approach me in a friendly manner?”
I could feel people around us—those waiting for carriages and those already inside—sneaking glances at us.
With the infamous Duchess of Loire and a seemingly very famous Marquis standing together, they must be dying of curiosity.
I quickly took two steps back from Marquis d’Orléno.
It doesn’t always take a major event for things to get complicated. After all, Vivian, who might be a huge obstacle capable of overturning my smooth transmigrated life, was also nearby.
Even the original female protagonist, Marcella, is still at the convent; I absolutely must not get involved with Vivian now.
Pretending to look elsewhere, I cut him off sharply.
“Even if we have some connections here and there, it would be better not to be seen together by others.”
“Why is that?”
“Because scandals might spread, like how the uncultured Duchess of Loire seems to be sharing some kind of sentiment with you. I’ll have the borrowed robe sent separately to your residence.”
“In that case, what about the matter of Author Yvive?”
I couldn’t help but jerk my head to look sharply at Marquis d’Orléno.
Oops. I took the bait perfectly.
I saw a flicker of satisfaction and a light smile pass through the man’s eyes.
I felt my face, burning with embarrassment, grow hot. I quickly turned my head away and muttered under my breath, but it was utterly useless.
“Send a letter or something later.”
“Is it really necessary to go to all that trouble? Let’s talk right now.”
Is he really going to bring up my one and only weakness—the matter of Author Yvive—right here, right now? What on earth does he want to talk about?
My foolish heart began to race with acceleration. Really, do I have no self-respect!
*’But how can I possibly hold back when it’s about Author Yvive!’*
I’m still in the process of verifying whether this Shane d’Orléno actually has any connection to the author, and he charges in so abruptly like this?
But heaven, unaware of my inner turmoil, saw fit to send me a double dose of trials…
“…Oh my, Liberta. Long time no see?”
*Gasp.* I heard Tasha stifle a surprised gasp.
I realized instinctively. I had finally encountered the obstacle of my transmigrated life and a major character from the original work: Vivian Forte.
My already pounding heart, now with an additional reason, started beating twice as fast. I felt nauseous, as if I had suddenly poured years’ worth of longed-for coffee into my stomach.
After examining Liberta’s original diary, I had a rough idea.
Vivian had approached Liberta by noticing her loneliness and pretending to empathize, saying she was lonely too. The original Liberta, who yearned to connect with someone, had no choice but to bite onto Vivian’s sinister bait.
The original Liberta did nothing wrong.
The one who tries to exploit a lonely person is the problem.
How happy she had been to finally confide her inner thoughts to a friend her own age—that pure heart was recorded plainly in the diary, tormenting me.
That original Liberta, with her low self-esteem and timid nature, had no choice but to be led around by Vivian. She was properly gaslighted.
Just considering the actions that the original Vivian, as I remember her, inflicted upon Liberta…
*’Liberta! Did you know your eyes have a subtly unsettling effect on people? If you don’t want to die an old maid unable to marry, don’t keep your head up in front of people. I’m only telling you this because it’s me.’*
*’You can’t manage without me, can you? That’s why I mustn’t die! You have to hide me!’*
Vivian, having snagged a duke’s family as her prey, took off her mask. How admirable her courage was! A mere count’s daughter acted arrogantly as if she had the Duchess under her thumb, throwing around sweet words like candy, calling her her best friend only when it was convenient.
*’No matter what, I will never let Vivian gain the upper hand.’*
I gritted my teeth and didn’t turn around immediately.
The powerless Liberta of the past is gone. There will be no more times when you, Vivian, can manipulate Liberta Loire. That is the stance and attitude I must uphold regarding the honor of the soul who was the first master of this body.
As I stubbornly refused to turn my head, I could see out of the corner of my eye a line of疑问 rising from the Marquis’s handsome face.
I deliberately acted nonchalant and slowly turned to face Vivian.
…Ah. As expected of a major supporting character from the original work.
Her striking beauty aggressively greeted me. Her gorgeous pink hair was so lovely it was hard to look away. Even covered in all those glittering diamond and ruby jewels, her presence wasn’t overshadowed at all.
The aggressively sparkling jewels were dazzling, making me frown unintentionally.
The reason I wanted to sever ties with Vivian, the beauty and villainess of the story, as quietly and decisively as possible, wasn’t just out of respect for the original Liberta as a transmigrator. There was another crucial reason.
It was precisely because of ‘black magic’.
When the Crown Prince didn’t fall for her, Vivian, consumed by jealousy and rage, came into contact with a black magician connected to her family. Through that black magician, she inflicted suffering upon the protagonist, Marcella.
If Vivian, harboring malice, were to cast a curse on me using the black magic of the old empire, just as she did on Marcella, it would be a tremendous hassle.
*’I don’t even have time for my hobbies! I’d rather die than run around bothered, trying to break a curse!’*
So, after transmigrating into the novel, my first priority was to strive to cleanly sever ties with Vivian ‘smoothly’.
Two days had passed while I found and thoroughly read the diary the previous Liberta used. My busy father, the Duke of Loire, only visited my bedroom after those two days to check on his only daughter’s well-being.
Seizing the moment, I put on a tearful act and confessed everything that had happened, on behalf of the original Liberta.
*’Almost drowning in the pond, everything that happened all this time was all because of Vivian! Vivian tormented me. Last time, at the garden party, my dress catching fire was also something Vivian did on purpose!’*
The reaction I got back was utterly cold.
*’…To think the daughter of the House of Loire was being bullied by a mere count’s daughter living nearby. If it’s not that the tutor is incompetent, then everything he taught you about this family was utterly useless.’*
He wouldn’t actually try to kill the tutor, would he? Oh dear, I hadn’t thought that far! Please, don’t, you terrible father!
Seeing my face, which had naturally paled at the chilling thought, the Duke father first clicked his tongue.
*’Tch, don’t go around saying you’re from the House of Loire! Useless thing…’*
His daughter, who nearly drowned, barely regains consciousness and courageously names her bully, and this so-called father gets angry on his own and storms out of his daughter’s room.
I deliberately stared fixedly at the floorboards, keeping my mouth tightly shut.
It was my way of pretending to be pitiful.
Whether it worked or not, the head maid sighed cautiously, and some maid secretly wiped away tears, feeling sorry for me.
But I was truly fine.
Partly because I had read Liberta’s diary, but also because the Duke father was essentially a stranger in terms of emotional connection, so it wasn’t a blow.
Anyway, there was no need to dwell on that situation.
Because although the Duke of Loire made trash-like remarks to me, he clearly stated his position by decisively cutting off the long-standing business dealings with the Forte family.
